Everett gives Sox big boost

2-out hit drives in pair in 3rd in 4th win in row

White Sox 4, Indians 3

When Carl Everett drove in two runs with a clutch two-out single Monday, it seemed obvious the veteran outfielder had just enjoyed his best moment since joining the White Sox on July 1.

Everett didn't see it that way.

"No, my best moment was when Frank [Thomas] battled in that one at-bat [against Minnesota] and then went deep to win the game," Everett said, referring to the Sox's 8-6 victory on July 2. "I don't ever have any selfish moments. If you want any selfish moments from me, you'll never get them out of my mouth."

Everett, though, was more than happy to talk about how the Sox won their fourth straight, 4-3 over Cleveland.

"Right now we're going out there wanting to win," he said. "Before we were just playing out there hoping to win. Now we have that feeling, or like some may say, that glow. Instead of letting things happen to win, we're making things happen to win."

The victory not only gave the Sox their longest run of victories since mid-April but it also trimmed Kansas City's lead in the American League Central over the Sox to six games, seven in the loss column.

"I'm a firm believer that you control your own [destiny]," Everett said. "As long as you're winning, it doesn't matter what those other teams do."

It also didn't matter to manager Jerry Manuel that the Sox had only six hits Monday, and only one after the third inning.

"You're not going to hit every night," said Manuel, who knows that all too well. "But you have to find ways to win ballgames."

The Sox did just that Monday. After falling behind 3-1, they rallied for three runs in the third.

Magglio Ordonez drove in leadoff man Tony Graffanino, who reached base three times and extended his hitting streak to five games, during which he's hitting .588.

With two outs and runners at second and third, Everett lined lefty Brian Tallet's first pitch into left field to put the Sox ahead.

With one swing, Everett doubled his RBI total in a Sox uniform.

"I was just looking for a strike," Everett said. "And [batting] right-handed, I don't care to take too many pitches. He got a good part of the zone and I kept my hands back and did what I was supposed to do with the baseball."

Is that because Maroth is a soft-tosser? "I can't tell you my stuff," Everett replied. "The pitchers read the paper. They're not like me, I don't read it."

If that's the case, Everett might not know that Mike Porzio earned another start with his solid performance Monday. The 30-year-old lefty limited the Indians to three runs over five innings.

Manuel said before the game that if Porzio "does well, he'll remain in the rotation, no doubt about that."

Not only did Porzio do well, the man he replaced, right-hander Dan Wright, had a rough outing Monday for Triple-A Charlotte. He gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks in a game at Richmond.

Rick White and Tom Gordon combined to shut down the Indians by throwing four scoreless innings. White has posted a 2.22 ERA since May 30.